More Minnesotans view Gov. Tim Walz unfavorably than favorably, according to a new poll released last week.
A Change Research poll conducted for MinnPost found that 48% of Minnesotans have an unfavorable view of the first-term Democrat, compared to 44% who view him favorably.
According to the crosstabs, the largest group (41%) of respondents are those who view Walz “very unfavorably.” Just 25% have a “very favorable” opinion of the governor, followed by 19% who have a “somewhat favorable” view, 7% who have a “somewhat unfavorable” view, and 7% who are neutral.
MinnPost reports that 60% of respondents said the state is “moving in the wrong direction.”
However, when asked whether they approve of Walz’s performance, voters were split down the middle — 50% said they approve and 50% said they disapprove.
The results show that the majority of Minnesotans (69%) have a favorable view of police officers, compared with just 18% who have an unfavorable view.
On the topic of COVID-19, most Minnesotans support forced masking of unvaccinated children in K-12 schools. The results on vaccine mandates in the workplace aren’t as straightforward. Thirty-nine percent of respondents think businesses should not be allowed to require vaccination, 35% think all businesses should require vaccination, and 23% think businesses should be allowed to but believe it’s “up to each business.”
The poll also found that, among Republican voters, Dr. Scott Jensen has the highest favorability rating and name recognition among the field of candidates seeking to replace Walz.